CHAPTER SEVENTEEN:
GOING UNDER
( aka 03x20: lo-fi )

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ONCE THEY MANAGED TO fight their way through the heavy media-presence waiting outside the Federal Plaza, they joined JJ, Emily and Reid to look over the surveillance footage of the shooting. The victim was waving down a taxi when the unsub rushed up behind him and put a bullet through his brain. As soon as the man went down, the unsub started running, his head routinely turning back to make sure no one was following him.

"Well, this is different," Dallis said. Gone was the meticulous man they'd started to profile. This person, she failed to recognise.

"And if you look at this," Emily changed the screen to the video they'd all memorised by then. "The previous murder."

"So he sprints off in one and walks away calmly in the other," Morgan frowned. "It's two entirely different demeanours."

"Six kills in, his behaviour should be set," Rossi said.

Dallis let out a sigh. "I'm really starting to think we're dealing with more than one unsub here."

"Funny you should say that," Reid glanced up at her as he took over the computer, then said into the speaker, "Garcia, are you still there?"

"Would I ever leave you?" came Garcia's enthusiastic reply. "Okay, check this out. I did a digital perspective analysis rendering on the shootings where we have footage. Now, the first two were inconclusive, but the last two I found some très weird. Your calm, walking type? He is about 6'1". But your sprinter? He's, like, 5'9" maybe 5'10" tops."

"So Dallis is right," Rossi concluded. "We've got more than one unsub. What does that tell us?"

"Most teams stick together," Reid stated. "Ng and Lake, the Krays, Bittaker and Norris. They don't usually kill separately."

"Could be some kind of gang initiation," Morgan considered.

Emily tilted her head, scanning over the data Garcia had transmitted to them outlining body shapes, walking patterns, everything that was subtle but damnably different about the two killers. "Gangs will kill you if you encroach on their territory, not random people all over the city."

"I'll coordinate with the gang task force and make sure we have an overview by morning," JJ said, just in case.

"Do you have enough for a working profile?" Kate asked them, reminding Dallis that other people were present and listening. She hovered behind Emily, one hand braced against the back of her chair.

"Broad strokes," Rossi shrugged.

"Dave, you and Reid talk to the agents here," Hotch decided. "Morgan, Cohen and Prentiss, brief the police when each shift comes on duty tomorrow."

"I think we should get out onto the streets," Morgan countered.

Hotch considered this but he was quickly interrupted by Kate. "I brought you here to create a profile."

"Which we can give in the morning and then they can share it with the afternoon shift..."

"We've allocated every extra man we have," she insisted. "This is New York City, it's not like a few more people is going to blanket the city."

"I understand it's a long shot," Morgan said, this time with a bit less patience. Dallis not-so-subtly stepped away, not wanting to be caught between them as Morgan refused to concede defeat. "But these guys, they hit at midday. We could target ingress and egress to particular neighbourhoods, position us near express stops. 14th, 42nd, 59th--"

"Morgan," Hotch held up his hand. "Morgan, it's not your call."

Dallis grimaced. Morgan looked ready to explode, but he bit his tongue and backed away. Kate neatly folded her hands in front of her, plastering on the façade of professionalism they'd started to see slip more and more. "I'd like to join you in the profile, if that's not stepping on your toes."

"No problem," Rossi nodded.

Morgan left the room then and Dallis followed, aware that Kate was watching them go. She caught up to him before the elevator closed, taking them down to the foyer where the press were still milling around outside. Morgan said nothing as the two walked side-by-side towards a back entrance. The second the door was shut, he spun around to face her.

"Tell me I'm wrong," he began but Dallis remained quiet, knowing he needed to get everything out of his system before he'd be willing to listen. "I had a point back there! It's like Prentiss said, we're a resource. She should be using us instead of protecting her territory! If more people keep losing their lives, the blood's not only on her hands but ours too!"

"What did Hotch say to you?" Dallis asked, crossing her arms against the biting evening wind. "Back at the crime scene?"

Morgan let out a heavy breath, slumping against the alley's brick wall. "She's being threatened by the higher-ups that if she doesn't catch these guys soon, I'm at the top of their list to replace her."

"That doesn't surprise me," she said, and she meant it, even when Morgan started to shake his head. "You have your moments sometimes, but you're one of the best profilers I know, Derek. You've got a reputation and it follows you."

"Well, I don't want her job."

"She doesn't know that."

"And Hotch," he muttered, starting to pace. "Don't get me started on him."

"Look, Morgan, you've had a long day," she sighed, reaching out to stop him with a hand on his shoulder. He let her. "Remember what we're dealing with here. Two unsubs, at least? We need to be on our game."

"I know."

"Good," she smiled. "Then take a breath and get back into it, okay? If it turns out that you were right and we should've been patrolling the streets, then the blood you're talking about is still only on Kate's hands. You've tried, that's all you can do."

Nobody said anything when the two of them returned. Thankfully, Kate and Hotch had retreated into her office again, leaving them to comb over the new footage until they had every inch of it detailed. What they knew for certain? They had two unsubs, a clear dominant and submissive partnership they'd seen many times before. The dominant was confident. He committed the crime like it amounted to nothing. It was as easy as breathing. But the submissive unsub was fearful. He acted on instinct, wired by self-preservation. It made no sense that he appeared so late into the investigation. There was still something they weren't aware of.

They decided to turn in for the night. Dallis headed back to the hotel with Emily, JJ, Hotch and Reid where they found Will waiting for JJ in the foyer. He sat in one of the green leather seats with his eyes fluttering shut, head resting against the glass of the floor-to-ceiling window. He must've been waiting there for hours but he quickly roused at the sound of them approaching, standing to wrap an arm around JJ's waist.

"Hey, I took a shot and flew to DC," he said, and it was then that they noticed the duffle bag at his feet. "But when it didn't work, I figured a train ride to New York was only a few more hours."

"Detective," Hotch reached out to shake his hand.

"Look, I'm sorry for showing up like this," he said then turned back to JJ. "I know you're working, but I can't stand you being on this case and me not being near. Not with what's going on."

"What's going on?" Dallis echoed, frowning.

So something was up with JJ.

"Is there a problem?" Hotch asked.

Slowly, JJ turned to face them, deciding there was no time like the present to drop a bombshell. "I'm pregnant."

"What the fuck?" Dallis clapped a hand over her mouth. When she managed to find the right words, she launched at JJ with a squeal, her smile stretching from ear to ear. "Oh, my god, you guys! Congratulations!"

"I've asked JJ to marry me," Will added, making Dallis squeal again and JJ grimace and cover her ears. "Though we're working out some kinks."

"This is amazing," Dallis moved to hug him next, allowing the others to crowd around JJ. He laughed and patted her on the back, having spoken to her maybe five times and already treating her like an old friend. "I've got so many questions."

"I'm sure you do," JJ smiled. "But save them for girls night."

"Oh, absolutely! This means we're going to need wine and non-alcoholic drink options. Have you tried the beer? It's not as good, it tastes like flavoured water..."

Before JJ could answer, Hotch suggested they give the couple some privacy and went to take his leave. JJ was quick to hurry after him and the others wisely kept their distance. Dallis hoped this wouldn't complicate JJ's job, but she also understood why Will was so concerned. Anything could happen in the field, especially with a case like this, and JJ had to think of more than just herself now. Hotch would know this, too. Better than anyone else.

"Well, this is a surprise," Morgan exclaimed when he and Rossi entered the foyer and recognised the familiar face among them. "Hey, man. What are you doing here?"

Now that everyone else knew, JJ didn't hesitate to share the news, earning a similar reaction (minus the squeal) from Morgan and a smile from Rossi. He followed Dallis on her way upstairs to where their rooms were a few doors down from each other.

"Mind if I join you?" Dallis asked, making him raise his eyebrows.

"Excuse me?"

"Wipe that smirk off your face," she muttered, though she couldn't deny the blush that crept onto her cheeks. "You're carrying a stack of files and I watched you pocket four of the station's coffee sachets before we left. Don't you need a break?"

Rossi shrugged. "I'm not tired yet, but you are. You don't need to stay up on my account."

"I want to," she insisted, nodding towards the door. "Now open up and let us in. I'm using your bathroom."

"Yes, ma'am," he chuckled but did as she asked.

When she emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later, he'd gotten comfortable at one end of the couch with all their notes laid out on the table in front of him. Without her asking, he'd prepared a steaming cup of green tea with a box of teabags Dallis saw peeking out of his suitcase. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach. She curled up on the other end of the couch, kicking off her heels and tucking her feet up beneath her. The inches between them felt like a mile.

"I'm so happy for JJ," she remarked, searching for an excuse to break the silence. It was peaceful, yes, but she wanted to hear his voice. "It's great news, isn't it?"

"It is," he agreed, his mouth curling with a smile.

"The second BAU baby," she chuckled to herself. "Unless you've got kids out there we don't know about."

"Only one," he said, overlooking her teasing tone. He gripped the handle of his cup with a white-knuckled fist. "He's not... around anymore."

Dallis was quiet for a moment, watching him. Apart from that one tiny slip, he gave away nothing that indicated a long-buried sense of sorrow. He continued flipping through pages, his rolled-up sleeves revealing tanned skin and a silver watch.

"I'm sorry for your loss," she mumbled, the only thing she could think to say. "I can't imagine how horrible that must've been."

"It happened a long time ago," he said. "But thank you."

The silence returned again. This time, Dallis made no effort to break it. Slowly but surely, her eyes started to flutter. She thought about heading to her own room but the thought of leaving Rossi after he'd shared something so close to his heart, however unintentional it might've been, kept her rooted in place. That, and she liked the sound of his even breathing just inches away from her. Call her a creep, she was too tired to care.

"When I have kids, I'm going to leave the BAU," she said.

Rossi paused to glance over at her. Dallis shifted closer when he gently pried the teacup from her hands, minimising those precious inches of space. She forced her eyes to stay open, not ready to lose this moment yet.

"Family comes first," he said. "It's something I've overlooked before and it's cost me. But when all this is in the past, we're going to have nothing else."

"Exactly."

Just as sleep finally took her in its embrace, she felt the soft warmth of someone laying a blanket across her lap and smiled.

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GIVING THE PROFILE TO cops all as stressed and frustrated as Detective Brustin was an exhausting task. Dallis dreaded to see how the afternoon change-over would react after handling the morning shift. She was glad to see the last of them leave, allowing her and Morgan to return to the others, who had just finished up with Kate's agents, while Emily hung back to talk with Cooper and Brustin.

"How'd it go?" Reid asked as Dallis slumped into the chair beside him.

"Horribly," she groaned, leaning her head back against the cracked leather. Staying up late (and sleeping on a couch) wasn't her smartest choice when she knew she had a 7am start the next day. "Wanna trade places for the afternoon round?"

He popped his shoulders in an unaffected shrug. "I don't mind."

She gave a short-lived sigh of relief just as the phone over on the next desk started to ring. Hotch hurried to answer it with a quick grunt of his name, listening carefully to everything being said on the other end of the line. Dallis and Reid both sat to attention when they heard his breath hitch, followed by, "Does it look like it could be one of our guys?"

Rossi, Morgan and Kate crowded around them as Hotch transferred the call onto the speaker. "What's going on?"

"We've got eyes on one of them. He's on the subway platform at 59th and Lex."

"59th?" Morgan exclaimed, glaring at Kate's stricken face. "We could've been right there!"

"He's got a gun," Garcia declared. "He's shot her..."

"Where the hell are the police?" Kate exclaimed before snatching up the nearest available phone. "This is Kate Joyner with the FBI. We have a murder suspect at subway platform 59th and Lex!"

"He's getting away," Garcia's voice trembled.

"Can you get eyes on him above ground?" Rossi asked.

"Yes... he's heading West on 59th Street."

"If he makes it to the park, we've lost him," said Kate, dismayed.

A few seconds later, Garcia's typing stopped. "We've lost the visual."

"Are the police on the scene?" Dallis pressed, but she knew what their answer would be.

"Negative."

It was too late.

"We could've had that guy!" Morgan's eruption broke the silence.

Kate couldn't look him in the eye but she tried her best to maintain her composure. "Even if we were on that platform, odds are he would've moved on to someone isolated."

"Maybe, but it was worth taking a shot!"

"I had every available man on the street--"

"And I suggested to you that you use this team," he retorted, pointing from himself to the others as he took a step closer.

Hotch threw an arm out in front of him, acting as a barrier between them. "Second guessing doesn't do us any good right now."

"Seriously?" Dallis couldn't help but scoff as Morgan added, "Hotch, how am I supposed to look these cops in the eye and tell them we're actually here to help them?"

"We're here to present a profile," Hotch persisted. "That's what we need to do."

"A profile can only do so much," Dallis muttered under her breath, but the long breaks of silence made her disapproval loud and clear.

"Thank you!" Morgan exclaimed, glad he wasn't the only one seeing what was right in front of them. "I said to put us at express stops! 14th, 42nd, 59th, and that's exactly where they hit."

"It's not your place to have this discussion," Hotch snapped. "Either of you."

Dallis rolled her eyes. Morgan's hands balled into fists. "My place?"

"You need to back off."

"We've got seven bodies, man!"

"Which is exactly why we need to stay focused."

"Focused?" Morgan's laughter was sharp and cutting. "From where I'm standing, all your focus is on her."

"Take a walk," Hotch said through gritted teeth. Dallis knew it was taking every bit of patience he had not to break his front of professionalism. "Now." This time, Dallis didn't follow him, staring at the side of Hotch's face as he raised a hand to shield his eyes. When he managed to regain his breath, he rounded on her next. "Do I need to have a word with you too, Cohen?"

"No, sir," she muttered, flicking her gaze to Kate's retreating back. "I've heard you loud and clear."

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DALLIS WAS QUIET AS she followed Morgan and Rossi through Kate's open door. She and Rossi had tracked Morgan down at a nearby bar brooding over an untouched beer. Dallis had let Rossi cool him down, figuring he'd have a better insight into Hotch's mind -- that, and Dallis didn't think everything Morgan said was untrue or unfair, just a touch expressive. Therefore, she remained tight-lipped as Morgan came to a stop at Kate's desk where the woman in question stared back at him plainly.

"Listen, um... about before--"

"You spoke your mind," she said, raising a hand to stop him. "I respect that."

Slowly, Morgan nodded, then turned next to Hotch. "JJ, Reid and Prentiss went to the crime scene with the detectives," Hotch explained the notable absence of the rest of their team. He made no mention of earlier and Morgan didn't push him.

"This is the first time they've killed two days in a row," Rossi frowned. "They're speeding up."

"But why?" Dallis sighed, letting her arms lower to her sides. "There's no clear motive for us to go on."

"And what I'm about to tell you certainly won't clear anything up," Kate said. "Your analyst went over the latest footage. This is a different shooter from the last two."

Dallis' eyebrows rose so high she swore they'd disappear into her hairline. "Three unsubs? Maybe this is a gang initiation after all."

"Either way, I want you all out on the street tomorrow," the other woman insisted, earning an appreciative nod from Morgan.

"What are we missing?" Rossi muttered to himself.

"When we first saw this case, what did it remind us of?" Hotch prompted.

"Son of Sam," Dallis stated.

"Same kind of unsub," nodded Hotch. "Random shootings, not need-driven, no sexual component..."

"Except that Berkowitz admitted that he would return to the scenes of his crimes days later to masturbate," Morgan pointed out.

"Exactly."

"So you're thinking, if the dominant unsub has a similar MO..."

"We get Garcia to study the footage and see if the same person keeps returning to the crime scene in the days following the shootings," Hotch said. "All we've been looking at right now are the immediate aftermaths of the crimes."

"It's worth a shot," Dallis shrugged.

The following day, as promised, they were separated and sent into the chaos of the busiest New York City streets. Dallis was paired with JJ and Reid, and the three of them spent most of their time going over baby names when they weren't on the hunt for anyone suspicious. JJ shared a few of her ideas but kept her favourite a secret for herself and Will, much to Dallis' disappointment. Just the thought of a mini-JJ filled her with overflowing joy, but it was a short-lived feeling when Emily and Cooper ran into some trouble.

They arrived on the scene as Cooper was being loaded into the back of an ambulance with a grim-faced Brustin clutching his hand. Emily stood on the sidewalk with blood caked in the lines of her palms. She smeared the red liquid across her pants as she tried (and failed) to scrub it away. Behind her, the fourth unsub was dead on the ground with a bullet wound in his chest to match the one he'd given Cooper after gunning down another innocent civilian. Reid joined Rossi to look over the body while Dallis, Morgan and JJ rushed over to Emily.

Dallis recognised the vacant set of Emily's eyes from the night that Garcia's life hung in the balance. It was a feeling Dallis dreaded ever being consumed by again, but now it had her friend in its grasp. She latched onto Emily's hand, ignoring the blood as she squeezed her fingers.

"You're okay," she said.

Emily's grip tightened. In that moment, she was a boat adrift at sea and Dallis was her anchor.

JJ watched the ambulance round the busy corner. "Is he going to make it?"

Emily managed a shrug. "I don't know. He lost a lot of blood."

"It's really good you were with him, Em," Dallis insisted, but Emily was fading from reality again.

"I shouldn't have had to shoot him."

It took Dallis a second to realise she meant the unsub.

Morgan's brows furrowed over his sunglasses. "Emily, he shot a cop. You did what you had to do."

"No, I know, not that," she mumbled, struggling to string together the right words. "I mean he was ahead of us. He would've gotten away, but he stopped and waited."

"So he felt trapped?" JJ assumed. "He figured he'd shoot his way out?"

It made sense in theory, but something about it was off.

"Tell us about his behaviour," Morgan said. "Was he panicked? Was he winded?"

Emily was quiet for a moment, and then, "His hands were steady. His eyes were dead calm. I mean, these guys have been hyper vigilant. Organised. They do pre-surveillance. What are the odds they would shoot somebody two blocks from where me and Cooper were standing?"

Her voice had started to steadily rise, gaining the attention of a few nearby officers and civilians. Dallis tried her best to shush her, wishing there was more she could do as Emily's eyes glazed over with tears. JJ grabbed hold of her other hand, a silent reminder to breathe.

"Do you think he deliberately shot someone where he could be caught?"

"What if he did? What if they chose this spot because we were here? He had no ID on him, he waited until we caught up to him. He was strangely calm, I -- it's almost like suicide by cop!"

"But why?" Derek voiced the age-old question. "Why would he do that?"

"Maybe to make us think everything was finished."

Meanwhile, Rossi and Reid were piecing together a theory of their own.

"So how does this work?" Morgan asked once they were back at the Federal Plaza.

Reid was in his element when he answered, "The murders simulate a bombing. From there, they station someone to watch and gauge police response time."

Terrorism. It floored Dallis, who'd taken a seat behind one of the desks close to Emily's side. She was talking more and interacting with the others, but something in her would remain fractured until they received word about Cooper, and they all could see it.

"At which point they know when to bring in a second bomb," Morgan sighed, making Reid nod.

"The goal is always to take out a first round of civilians followed by a second wave of emergency responders," Kate stated.

"It's crazy, but it's ingenious," said Reid. "They get a practice run and if someone catches the shooter, they think they just have a murderer. The cell isn't compromised."

"It's lo-fi. Smartest way to plan for a terrorist event."

"Creating panic ensures that they see the most urgent response time, short of a bombing," Hotch said, frowning.

JJ scoffed. "So there's been seven different shooters?"

Rossi nodded, expanding, "Having followers do the shootings would ensure they're willing to kill or be killed for the cause."

Like their latest unsub.

"It fits the profile," Emily agreed. "There is something larger at play, and it simulates a gang initiation."

"Especially if they're home grown," added Hotch. "They haven't had a chance to prove themselves."

Reid gestured to his map. "I think they're targeting points of entry. All the murders have taken place near a bridge or a tunnel. Holland Tunnel, Midtown Tunnel, Manhattan Bridge."

"If bombs went off, the emergency response would shut down any ability to get in or out of the city," Dallis pointed out, but maybe that was what these unsubs wanted, to take down as many people as possible. To create panic, suffering, to know they were in control.

"Keep in mind it's still a theory, just like any profile," Hotch reminded them.

Morgan's phone rang. Skipping his usual greeting, he said, "Talk to us, Garcia."

"We have a problem."

"Oh, great," Dallis sighed, subconsciously running her fingers through her hair and tugging at the roots. "Just what we want to hear."

Garcia made a noise of agreement on the other end of the line. "So, I went through and checked all four thousand, four hundred and sixty eight cameras. They hacked into the surveillance system. They've got footage of every crime scene, they've been watching since the beginning."

Dallis' eyes widened. "How did we miss this?"

"They were smart," the analyst sighed. "It wasn't system wide. You had to check every camera individually."

"And this is from every crime scene?" Emily confirmed.

"I'm afraid so. They hacked into one camera at every scene."

"Okay, we need to hit the ground running," Kate declared, already standing and preparing her things.

"I'm going to the hospital," Emily reached for her jacket. "I'm going to check on Cooper and brief Detective Brustin."

"Good," Hotch nodded, then acknowledged the others. "Dave, will you go talk to the commissioner? Morgan, Cohen, you brief Homeland Security."

"JJ and I will talk to the Port Authority police," Reid volunteered as Dallis stood and stretched.

"Right, then Kate and I will go talk to the mayor, and we'll meet back here as soon as possible."

"One advantage that we have right now is that they don't know we know they're watching."

Twenty minutes later, as Dallis and Morgan were leaving the Homeland Security building, an SUV exploded just blocks away from the Federal Plaza and ripped the world in two parts; before and after.

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A/N: Me, trying to write this chapter: